Stick with me okay?
by OnceUponAnatomyMinds
Summary: Season 3 rewrite from What I Am onwards... Includes Meredith's drowning and so forth. Not good at summaries, details are inside. R&R Rated T for language later on.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first Grey's Anatomy story and I have only been with the show for a few months (currently on season 10/going onto 11) so any criticism is accepted, as long as you don't go too harsh on me. I have been with FF for about 4 years and have multiple accounts for Criminal Minds but this account is entirely for Grey's.**

 **Shout out to my peanut Fran for 1. Getting me into the show in the first place, 2. Being there for all the emotions the show has brought me (so far anyway), and 3. For helping with the start of this fic and being my awesome co-writer. Love you my darling.**

 **So here we go, this is a pure season 3 rewrite, starting with the aftermath of What I Am. Some of the plot twists are very AU and the characters may seem off but it's all for the story and as always, I do not own Grey's or any of the characters, only the dark and twisty AU plots in my mind (there are A LOT). This is estimated to have about 5/6 chapters but I am currently at the beginning of my 2 week exam period at college (2 out of 4 A Level exams out the way) and so writing is only for my breaks in revision. Updates will be scattered but I hope to keep a lot of you hooked with my plots.**

 **On with the show or whatever. :) *virtual cookies and ice cream are also passed out to those who review so keep that in mind* ;)**

Addison Montgomery sighed heavily, closing her last chart in content. She had been charting her post-ops for 2 whole hours and thought it was about time to grab a blanket and crash in an on-call room. Her thoughts were interrupted by a pained grunt echoing down the empty hall way, the woman frowning as she headed to the only open patient room. Funnily enough the room was Meredith Grey's, making Addison frown even more. She pushed the door open further, finding Meredith hunched over the side of her bed.

"Dr Grey- is everything alright?" Meredith held out her hand slightly, her head still hunched over.

"I'm fi-"Before she could get another word out she threw up in the basin between her legs, Addison cringing slightly as she took a step towards her. She rubbed her back awkwardly, Meredith gagging even more. A few minutes passed without any sound, Meredith sitting back up.

"Do you need me to page Bailey?" Addison asked, concerned for the woman. She shook her head, running her hand through her hair, revealing her red and blotchy face to Addison.

"I'll be fine" She sent her a small smile, not being able to keep eye contact with the red head. Meredith laughed slightly to herself, wiping her face clear.

"I'm erm- I'm sorry for the morphine dazed conversation you had to deal with earlier" Addison smiled awkwardly, slowly taking her hand off Meredith's back.

"You remember that?"

"Not at first, things started coming back to me earlier. I was sitting trying to figure out why Derek broke up with me so something in my morphine mess must have been the cause" Addison looked up shocked, Meredith frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"Derek broke up with you? Again!?"

"I know, God I'm sorry- I'm crying to you yet again about your ex-husband. It's not very considerate of me since I ruined your marriage in the first place" Meredith sighed, placing her head back into her hands, feeling another wave of nausea rush over her.

"No Meredith, you didn't ruin my marriage. I told him today, I told him not to hurt you. He just doesn't know when to take the message does he?" Meredith looked up slightly, her hair covering half her face.

"Wait? You told him to stay with me? But- You don't like me?" Addison laughed, placing her hand back on Meredith's back, though she cringed at the cheesy gesture.

"I don't not like you Meredith; I actually respect you very much. My marriage was over before you were in the picture; you are not the only dirty mistress around here"

"So if we aren't friends we are-? What? Hoes before bros?" Addison laughed, nodding her head.

"You could say that" Before Meredith could take a breath; she felt bile rising up her throat and threw up again in the basin, Addison rubbing her back comfortingly.

"You need to try and get some sleep" Taking charge, Addison stood and took the basin from Meredith, grabbing a clean one and throwing the dirty one in the chemical waste bin. Meredith just nodded, her energy draining as she climbed back under the covers and lay down.

"I'll sit here with the basin and if you think you're going to be sick again, just be sick" She sat on the bed, placing the basin on her knee so it was accessible to Meredith.

"Thank you" Meredith mumbled, burying her head into the pillow. Addison just smiled, sighing heavily as she watched Meredith fall asleep.

Bailey shut the on-call room door behind herself as she grabbed her charts and began her rounds. She always hated the night shift- rounds at 3am were not normal or necessary, everyone was sleeping, like she should be. Her first was Meredith, Bailey groaning knowing the woman was probably sitting up trying to rob charts from the nurse's station to do because she was missing out on working days. Bailey was not sure how she was going to cope with the woman in the hospital for another 3 days recovering. Coming up to her room, she couldn't help her jaw dropping as she found Addison Montgomery asleep on the bed next to Meredith, holding a basin limply in her hands.

"What the-"Bailey closed her mouth, staring at the two in confusion before shrugging and walking slowly out the room.

"I must be tired" She grumbled to herself, heading to her next patient room. At least Meredith was asleep, that's all she cared about. It was too late in the night to be dealing with her complaining to leave.

The next morning came by fast, Cristina coming in an hour early to sit with Meredith, knowing how depressed she must be not being able to work until she has recovered. Cristina spotted Bailey not far from Meredith's room and frowned, wondering if something had gone wrong in the night.

"Dr Bailey, is everything okay?" Bailey stayed fixated on the door, shrugging in response.

"I don't know" Cristina looked into the room, the sight of Addison asleep next to Meredith not even being on the lists of things she suspected.

"Is that? Dr Montgomery?" Bailey nodded; watching as Meredith started to wake, stretching awkwardly. She turned to stare at the two women in the doorway, frowning at the looks they were giving her.

"What are you two looking at?" Cristina nodded her head; Meredith looking to her side, remember Addison had crashed with her that night. She awkwardly poked the woman's arm, Addison stretching and sitting up. She looked around, frowning at Bailey and Cristina.

"What are you two looking at?" Bailey raised her eyebrow, turning on her heal without a word. Cristina slowly made her way into the room, Addison handing Meredith the basin.

"So, rough night?" Meredith nodded, rubbing her eyes.

"I was throwing up, but I feel alright now" Cristina nodded, handing over a green tea she had made on her way out the door.

"I know you can't drink coffee for a few days so I made you a green tea" Meredith laughed, watching as Cristina sat on the chair next to the bed.

"Thank you. Addison you can go home now if you want. You stayed here all night" Cristina raised her eyebrow at Meredith, wondering why the women were on a first name bases all of a sudden.

"Will you call me if anything changes?" She asked, looking between Cristina and Meredith.

"I will yeah" Cristina answered, Addison nodding and heading out the room.

"Thanks again" Addison sent her a smile and left the room, Meredith lying back with a sigh.

"Care to explain why you have rebounded onto your ex-boyfriends, ex-wife" Meredith opened one eye to glare at Cristina, the woman giggling as she rested her head on the side of the bed.

"I haven't rebounded onto nobody Cristina. She was helping me when I was throwing up"

"Why would she help you? She hates you"

"She doesn't hate me, she respects me. We are hoes before bros" Cristina looking up in confusion, Meredith waving her hand in annoyance.

"It doesn't matter. Fact is, we are on good terms and she is actually really kind of nice"

"As long as I am still your person she can be whatever you want" The two laughed, falling into a comfortable silence.

Meanwhile, instead of heading home, Addison bumped into Derek, not giving him a chance to speak before grabbing his arm and pushing him inside a supply closet.

"You don't speak. You don't have the right to speak right now. Got it?" He nodded, holding his hands up in defence while Addison took a calming breath.

"When I told you not to hurt Meredith, I said that out of _'I am moving on so don't mess it up'_ \- not, _'break up with her an hour after she comes out of surgery'_!"

"I broke up with her because Finn is the better man" Derek argued, Addison rolling her eyes.

"She broke up with Finn Derek. She broke up with Finn because she wanted you to be the one, and then you go and do this!"

"Wait? She broke up with Finn? How do you know?"

"Because unlike you, I communicate with people. She told me Derek, she thinks that she did something to make you break up with her and it's not fair of you to do this"

"She probably doesn't even want to look at me" She placed her hand on his shoulder, sending him a small but warning smile.

"Fix your mess before you lose her for good this time. I shouldn't even be encouraging you to go back but, that girl is head over heels in love with you. Do not mess this up again Derek" He watched her leave, leaning back his head in thought. Snapping out of his selfish thoughts, he finished his post-op rounds and headed to her room, watching as Cristina walked out, heading to the elevator. Double checking she was alone, he felt a pang of guilt when he saw her. She looked so lost, and it was his fault. Knocking on the door, she turned her head towards him, sitting up slightly making her wince.

"What's wrong?"

"So I spoke to Addison before" She nodded, wondering what the red head had said to him.

"She told me you broke up with Finn" She shrunk slightly in her bed, Derek walking up to sit on the edge next to her feet.

"Yeah I did" She admitted, Derek tilting his head to look at her. She always loved the way he did that.

"You should have told me that you chose me over him"

"You shouldn't have broken up with me so suddenly" She shot back, Derek nodding in agreement.

"He was the better man you know"

"Yeah well I wasn't in love with him" She couldn't stop the words as the fell stupidly out of her mouth, her pale face gleaming bright red in shock and embarrassment.

"Yeah well I was never in love with Addison like I was with you" She tucked her legs up to her stomach; as if the enclosed space would protect her from the emotions she was feeling.

"Derek I can't do this forever. I can't continue to be the rebound for you, I am not always going to be here for you to come crawling back to when you have made another mistake. I can't be here. I can't take it" A stray tear rolled down her cheek, Derek jumping up to wipe it away.

"Can you forgive me Meredith? Can you give me a second chance?"

"Can you promise to stick with me? I'm complicated Derek, and I know you never signed up for that, but it's going to take me a while, and if you can't do that I need to know now"

"Meredith Grey, you are dark and twisty and all kinds of whatever, but I am going nowhere" She laughed slightly, wrapping her thin arms around his neck, sitting up so he could embrace her fully, taking in the scent of her hair.

"Your hair doesn't smell like lavender today" He said disappointed, Meredith laughing as she pulled away.

"That's because it most likely smells like the vomit I got in it last night" The two burst out laughing, Addison standing away from the doorway with a smile. Her work for the day was so done.

 **Cute happy MerDer ending huh? Well not for long ;)**

 **Chapter 2 will be up soon, it's almost finished being tweaked so please, Review/Favourite/Follow, do whatever floats your ferry (see what I did there?) - :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**So this is me back with chapter 2. This is now skipping forward 4 months to Some Kind of Miracle. This chapter mainly includes Addison/Derek/Cristina for obvious reasons and I have tried my best to go along with the show the best I could but obviously scenes have been taken out and put in so it's the best that I can do. I hope this is a good continuation from chapter 1 and enjoy.**

 **Also, I sat my English Literature exam (paper 1) yesterday and think I have failed so if chapter 3 is incredibly depressing it's** **because my mood is terrible right now :D *points gun at own head sadly* But all your reviews made my day so thank you so so much!**

 **Read and review my darlings...**

 _4 months late_

Addison felt her stomach churn in discomfort as she entered the room, doctors and nurses running around trying to revive a woman she had grown awfully close to in the past 4 months. The blue tint to Meredith's skin was unpleasant, her temperature way below what it should be.

"What happened?" She managed to get out, Richard Webber looking up at her. Even from across the room, his teary eyes were hard to miss.

"We don't know. Derek brought her in" He stated bluntly, but it was the entire truth. Nobody, not even Derek knew how she had gotten in the water, or how long she had been under. All anyone knew was that they had to get her back, get her heart pumping again on its own.

"Can I help? Do you need me to do anything?" Bailey looked up at her, the glazed look in Addison's eyes telling them all the same thing. She was too close and emotionally connected to be in here.

"Addison you need to leave. Go and sit with Derek or help out somewhere else. You are too close"

"And none of you aren't?" She shot back, everyone knowing she was right. Meredith was one of those people that, no matter how much she pissed you off, you couldn't hate her for long. She was too kind and too talented to dislike.

"Addison go and wait outside. We can handle this" Bailey croaked, swallowing down the lump in her throat. None of them should be in here right now but Meredith was one of their own and was going to get the best of the best, and they were exactly that. Addison took one last look at the unconscious woman before leaving the room, Derek standing to look at her. His wet hair and clothes told her that he had been the one to get her out the water, and his red, blotchy eyes told her that he was not ready to hear how she was doing. Because it was not good.

"Addison?" Mark held her arm in support, her eyes tearing away to look at him. He looked distraught. She then turned to look at the interns on the other side of the double doors, George looking in a daze at the floor, fresh tears still in his eyes. Alex was comforting Izzie who was mumbling words of comfort to herself. And Cristina, Cristina looked like she was ready to collapse. Why was everyone so emotionally attached to her? What was so special about her? _She is Meredith Grey, that is what._ Whether she was a whore or a slut or a show off, she was loved by a lot of people. Derek was her boyfriend. Cristina was her person. Addison, Izzie, George and Alex were her friends. Mark, Richard, Bailey (whether she wanted to admit it or not), all cared for her in some way. She was going to be fine. She had to be.

"She is going to be fine" Addison finally said, Derek falling back onto the wall in distress.

"How bad is it Addison?" Mark whispered into her ear, her eyes closing in anguish.

"I don't know. It's- I don't know" She turned and walked towards the interns, Cristina practically pushing Izzie to the ground to get to her.

"Addison- is it Meredith? Is it actually her?" Addison just nodded, Cristina's face falling in regret.

"How bad is it Dr Montgomery?" George squeaked from behind her, the interns looking to her with huge, puppy like eyes.

"She is going to be fine" It was like a script the red head was repeating to try and learn. _She is going to be fine._ She just walked away, Cristina watching as she rounded the corner.

"I can't- no I won't" She turned and ran out the door, Izzie going to run after her but Alex stopped her.

"Give her a minute" She nodded and they all turned back to the glass doors, their eyes landing on Derek who was crying into his knees. _This was not how the day was supposed to go._

 _1 hour later_

Addison rounded a corner and spotted Derek sitting in Ellis' room, seemingly waiting for her to wake up. Much to her dismay, he was waiting to argue with her, with a woman who probably had no idea who she was let alone that her daughter was dying. She watched in horror as he began shouting at her, thinking it was best to stop him before he did something that he would later regret.

"Derek" She shouted him, the man looking up to the door way. His hair was a mess and his face was blotchy from all the crying. He gave Ellis one last look before storming out the room, pushing past Addison so he was around the corner, leaning against a wall.

"Derek you can't take it out on her. It's not her fault what happened, she isn't lucid anymore you know that" He paced, his hand running through his hair anxiously.

"This is my fault, I did this"

"Derek you didn't do anything. You couldn't have prevented this"

"She was drifting away and I noticed but I never did anything. I promised her I would stick by her but she drifted and I never stopped her" Addison felt her heart plummet, grabbing Derek's arm to stop him in his tracks.

"Wait Derek- you think she did this? You think she went into the water on purpose?" He couldn't stop the sob that escaped his lips, covering his mouth in horror at someone actually saying his thoughts out loud.

"She can swim Addison. She is a good swimmer" Addison shook her head, knowing he can't possibly think she was suicidal.

"No Derek, you can't think like that. This is Meredith, she wouldn't do that. Too many people care about her. Derek you don't get to do this right now. You don't get to break down. She needs you to fight for her right now, she needs us all to fight for her" She wrapped her arms around him, the distraught man burying his head in her shoulder as he sobbed endlessly. She couldn't believe he thought she was suicidal, how could he think that? She was strong, she wouldn't do that. _She is going to be fine._

After calming Derek down, she sent him to the waiting room, asking around to see if anyone had seen Cristina. Strangely enough, she bumped into Burke who was on his was to Joe's bar.

"You know it's a bit early in the day to be drinking" Addison commented with what she hoped was a smirk. Today was just not one of those days, for jokes and laughter. It was not that kind of day.

"I got a call off Joe. Apparently Cristina is drowning her sorrows in there right now"

"Go back to Meredith, I will go and get her. I was looking for her anyway" Burke nodded and watched as Addison left the hospital, crossing the road to Joe's. Rightly so, there was Cristina, surrounded with 99c store bags and 2 bottles of beer. She placed herself next to the woman, Joe nodding his head and walking away to clean a table across the room.

"Tell me the truth Addison, was it bad?" Cristina asked, her head resting on a small plastic chair she had seemingly bought.

"Honestly, nobody knew what to do. They didn't know how long she had been under or why. The main problem was her temperature; it was too low so they couldn't get her heart beating on its own" Cristina nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I have been avoiding her for a few days you know. Burke asked me to marry him and instead of jumping at the opportunity and calling her over, I told him I would think about it and avoided her because I didn't know what to do. I've never had a person who cared for me like Meredith does; I don't know how to handle situations like that. But I told him that I would last night, I said yes and all I could think about was telling Meredith. It's the only thing I wanted to do, I didn't want to come into work to a load of surgeries or a trauma like this, I wanted to take her aside and tell her properly. And then this happened, and I was left behind while they all got to go to the scene, and I was so angry with her. I was angry because she got to go and help and I was stuck here, and then when everyone came back and I couldn't see her I got even more angry because I thought she was in some fancy surgery and then I get a page telling me she is on a table dying. I mean, how selfish does that make me? She cares for me more than anyone I know, more than Burke, more than anyone ever, and when she needed me the most I was walking around sulking and feeling jealous" Addison couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes, placing her hand atop of Cristina's.

"You are not selfish Cristina, nobody could have known this would happen today. But we can't do this, we can't drown in our sorrows and get angry or upset, we have to stay strong for her. We have to be there so when she wakes up she knows how many people really care about her" Cristina nodded, sitting up to wipe her face clear. She went to speak again but Addison interrupted her, not being able to keep eye contact as she spoke.

"Cristina, Derek- he thinks Meredith- he thinks she went into the water on purpose" Addison knew she wasn't emotionally ready for the blow that could come, but knew she would resent her if she never told her.

"What? Why would he think that?"

"He said she is a good swimmer. I don't know- he is a mess. I just, thought you should know what his line of thought was before heading back over there" She nodded, pushing her chair back so she could stand up.

"One problem at a time right?" The two nodded and Addison followed her out of the bar, them both heading back to the hospital. Addison's pager beeped, Cristina turning abruptly towards her in worry.

"It's okay- my patient is awake. You go ahead- I'll be down soon" Cristina, unexpectedly, wrapped Addison in a hug. Addison stood shocked for a moment before embracing her back, Cristina pulling away and walking to the ER. _Everything is going to be okay. Everything has to be okay._


	3. Chapter 3

**Here I am with CH3, I have been revising all morning but I thought I would take a 20 minutes break and upload this chapter.**

 **Also, if you haven't already please go and check out my oneshot "Done Talking"- but don't say I never warned you it's a tear jerker ;)**

 **Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!**

Cristina took a deep breath before entering the room, the sight that greeted her was one she would never forget. Nobody bothered to kick her out or even speak, because they knew it would fall on deaf ears. The only sound that filled the room was the flat line of Meredith's heart and the sound of someone manually ventilating her, each puff every few seconds making Cristina shiver. She stood in complete shock at the bottom of her bed, gulping nervously as she stared solemnly at her best friends still form. She looked to her feet and back up again, wrapping her hands around her feet and staring at Bailey.

"Try again" Nobody moved, everyone staring at Cristina in agony. She took in a sharp intake of breath, turning her glazed over, icy gaze to Richard.

"Try again!" She shouted, Bailey nodding slowly, snapping everyone out of their haze. They injected her one more time, charging the machine and shocking her chest, her body rocketing off the table, slamming back down again. Everyone was silent, her monitor still flat lining until suddenly-

 _Beep, beep, beep._

Everyone looked around in utter awe.

"Do we have a heart beat?" Bailey asked, knowing that at times the machine can pick up something that isn't actually there. Burke stepping forwards to double check her heart, nodding with a sigh, standing back up again.

"We got it" Bailey let out a relieved laugh, Cristina closing her eyes for a moment as the monitor continued to beep along with her pumping heart. She was back. It didn't take long for Meredith to be breathing on her own, Bailey ushering unwanted members of staff out while she removed the breathing tube. At that moment, Addison walked into the room, the sight blowing her back momentarily.

"She's breathing on her own?" She asked, the wind taken out of her as she stood beside Cristina who was still at the foot of her bed, unmoved.

"Yes she is" Bailey nodded with a smile, not ashamed to admit she was happy as anything that Meredith was on an upward ride currently. They pushed her bed up to a sitting position, Meredith still unconscious but all in all, doing everything she needed to be doing without the assistance of machines. Addison rounded to her side, feeling her forehead slightly, still shocked at how cold her skin was.

"She has erm- she's been down a long time. Do we know the brain function yet?" She hated to be the one to say it, but someone had to because it was right. She had been on bypass for almost 2 hours, meaning her brain had suffered more than it should have.

"We don't know" Addison knew that it was Derek's expertise that was needed now and noticed that he wasn't in the room yet.

"Derek? Does he kn-?"Bailey interrupted her, shaking her head.

"I haven't paged him yet. I wanted to-"She stopped mid sentence, looking down at Meredith one more time, a stray tear rolling down her cheek before she looked back up at Addison.

"I'm giving her more time" She nodded to Cristina who was fixated in that same statue position, Addison glancing over with a nod. Bailey rubbed Meredith's hand under the blanket before leaving the room, motioning for the last remaining nurse to follow her. Addison slowly made her way back to the door, Cristina clearing her throat catching the woman's attention.

"Thank you Addison" It was the first time Cristina had looked at the woman with such passion and it made her heart swell, a tear finally being released from her watery eyes.

"Page me when you need me okay?" She nodded, Addison leaving the room, letting her emotions get the best of her. As the door closed over, a muffled sob escaped her lips, the relief that Meredith was alive rushing over her body. _She will be fine_. Cristina watched as the door closed over before turning back to Meredith, the fact her chest was rising and falling bringing her much comfort. A few minutes passed and suddenly Meredith's head twitched, a inaudible mumble leaving her lips. Cristina jumped into action, running to her bed side.

"Did you just say something? Did you just speak? Oh- Meredith. Okay, Mere I can't understand you. Just try, try again. Try again for me okay?" She seemed to be waking up more, another few inaudible words leaving her mouth.

"What? I can't, come on please. Please don't be-" She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before placing her hands either side of Meredith's face, opening her eyes.

"-You're brain works okay? So all you need to do is form a word- please" A few more moments passed, Meredith's eyes fluttering under her eyelids before she opened her mouth, Cristina on the edge of her toes begging that she would just speak.

"Ouch" It was quiet, but it was there. _Ouch_. Then it happened, for the first time Cristina had never been so happy to make eye contact with someone in her life. She laughed, multiple tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh- hi! I'm getting married to Burke- not that that should be anywhere on your lists of thoughts right now, but just in case you slip in the hall later" A pained smile spread across Meredith's face, a stray tear falling down her cheek.

"You are the one person I wanted to tell" From outside, Bailey stood in the window watching with a smile on her face.

"Dr Bailey- what's happened?" George called from the end of the hall, Bailey ushering him over to the window. He ran up to her side, the sight of Cristina talking, Meredith lying with her eyes open smiling making him laugh with relief. A few minutes later Izzie and Alex joined them, the relief flooding through them as Bailey turned to them all.

"Take the next three days off, you all deserve it" She walked away, leaving them all to knock on the door and see Meredith for themselves. Cristina opened the door letting them all in, Meredith trying to sit up but Cristina stopped her before she could even move a muscle.

"You died, for like, 4 hours Mere. No moving" Much to their shock, she just nodded and settled back down, Izzie coming to her other side.

"Don't you ever scare us like that ever again okay? We were so worried about you" A tear rolled down her cheek, Meredith nodding to her, nudging her leg with her hand for Izzie to grab.

"I'm sorry" Her voice was still hoarse from the breathing tube but everyone heard. Cristina paged Addison, knowing it was only fair and knew she should page Derek as well- but opted to ring him instead.

"I'll be back in a second" Meredith nodded and watched as she left the room, George coming up to her bedside replacing Cristina. Alex stayed at the foot of her bed, still keeping as close to her as he could. Outside, Cristina dialled Derek's number, waiting anxiously for him to answer.

 _"Cristina please don't say it"_ The agony in his voice broke her heart, and she felt the weight lift off her shoulders as she told him the news he really needed to hear.

"She is awake Derek. She is awake and breathing on her own and everything is okay" He sighed heavily, laughing slightly at her.

 _"Is she okay? Has she spoken yet?"_

"Well the first thing she said to me was ouch so I think she is going to be okay- all thanks to you"

 _"I didn't do anything Cristina"_

"You found her Derek. Who knows what would have happened if you never brought her in. She is alive right now because of you" There was an awkward silence between the two, Cristina expecting him to be a bit more happy about her being awake.

 _"Cristina her mother is dead. She coded about 20 minutes ago- I couldn't get her back"_ Cristina glanced into the room, Meredith looking to George who was crying and holding her other hand, her face starting to gain some redness from the tears she was clearly shedding.

"Come down and see her. We will talk later okay? She needs to see you right now" She hung up, looking up to see Addison running down the hall.

"Is she awake? Is everything okay? How is her brain function? Have you paged Derek?" Cristina smiled, running her hand through her tatted hair as she nodded to the door.

"Go and see her Addison" Addison nodded and walked in, Meredith slowly turning her head to see her.

"What took you so long?" She tried to laugh, her throat still sore but it was enough for Addison.

"Waiting for you to get your damn ass back on earth that's where" She laughed, Meredith rolling her eyes at her. Izzie moved over, Addison thanking her as she say down, rubbing her leg comfortingly.

"Where is Derek?" Meredith asked, her eyes searching the room for the one person she craved to see right now.

"I called him before, he is on his way down" She nodded, taking a sharp intake of breath.

"Are you in any pain?" Alex asked, noticing how her face was strained.

"Of course I am, you have all be shocking my body for the past 4 hours" She said sarcastically, Cristina shaking her head. They all laughed, Meredith smiling as she closed her eyes. Izzie tightened her grip slightly on her hand, Meredith opening one hand slightly. It pained her even more to see the agony on their faces, Meredith squeezing her hand back.

"I'm sleeping, don't worry" Izzie nodded, looking down as tears threatened to overspill again, Meredith nodding and closing her eyes.

"I'll give you something for the pain and we will get you moved to ICU" Addison stated, Meredith merely mumbling an okay before falling asleep, Addison changing her IV and paging Bailey so they could get her a room. George, Alex, Izzie and Cristina waited outside while they prepared her, Derek sprinting down the hall to greet them.

"What happened?"

"They are moving her to ICU, they have given her something to help the pain for now but she should be waking back up when they get her settled" Cristina stated, the door opening. Derek couldn't help the sob that escaped his lips as he saw her, glad that her still, cold form was not the last he was going to see of her.

"She is going to be okay Derek" Addison said, helping Bailey push her to the double doors where everyone followed.

"Let's try and keep her visitors to a minimum for now okay?" Bailey stated, raising her eyebrows at the interns who nodded, Cristina rubbing Derek's arm to push him forward.

"Page me" He nodded, knowing she wanted to talk to him properly. They all stayed behind, watching as they wheeled her to the elevator and disappeared.

"Was I the only one who thought we had lost her today?" George said after a few moments of silence, Alex rubbing Izzie's arm in comfort.

"When you all left I walked in, and I don't think I'll ever be able to look at her again without seeing her like that. I thought that was going to be my last memory with her" Izzie mumbled, George grabbing her hand.

"She is okay though, everything is going to be okay" Alex said, George nodding. Cristina stood back, Addison's words replaying over and over again in her mind. H _e thinks she went into the water on purpose._ She wouldn't do that though, would she? She wouldn't feel that rejected. No, this is Meredith Grey. Meredith Grey is a fighter. She had to be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this has took me a while, I have been hardcore revising and also had a very important job interview today which I think I have smashed but I won't know until I get an email from them which is horrible :D But enough about me, on with the chapter.**

 **So this chapter is kinda touchy on certain levels and was difficult for me to get down into words without breaching certain boundaries so I hope you all enjoy.**

 **I have many oneshot/twoshot idea's floating around my dark and twisty mind so stay tuned for random stories and such to be thrown in the mix while this is still in progress. Loving and leaving you all, don't forget to review!**

Derek saw Cristina coming down the hall and ushered Addison outside, the pair not bothering to close Meredith's door over in case she woke up and needed something.

"How is she doing?" Cristina asked, Derek putting his hand's in his pocket as they stood in a group outside the door.

"She is still sleeping, I guess she needs it. She has been worn down a lot today" Addison stated, Cristina nodding in response. They both turned their gaze to Derek who was staring at the ground, his mind obviously at other places.

"Derek you can't avoid the subject forever. I told Cristina what you told me so just get your thoughts out already" He looked up, feeling slightly ashamed that he accused his girlfriend of such things and was clearly not in the best state of mind.

"She had an incident this morning in the bath" He said, Cristina frowning.

"What do you mean 'incident'?"

"I was shouting her from the bedroom and I walked into the bathroom and she had her head under the water. I just thought she was washing her hair but she had her head under for a long time, I had to pick her head out the water to stop her and she was gasping for air, like she had been under for a while. I thought it was stupid but then this happened. She is a good swimmer, and she wasn't far from the bay at all" Cristina crossed her arms over her chest in thought, Addison's facade faltering slightly. _Maybe she did do this..._

"No I'm sorry but I think I would know if my best friend was suicidal! She wouldn't just throw her life away like this"

"We all did something though" Addison stated, Derek looking at her in question.

"What do you mean?"

"Well think about it. George went off and got married and moved out. Izzie is still saw from Denny. Cristina you told me in the bar you have been avoiding her and Derek, you told me you noticed and never did anything about it. I have clocked a lot more hours this week and haven't spoken to her for more than a few minutes, and that was only after her mom kicked her out and then this happened. What if we are the reason?"

"Wait go back, why did her mom kick her out?" Cristina asked confused, Addison leaning against the door frame in thought.

"A few days ago, I was walking back from the cafeteria to do my post-op rounds and Meredith was sitting on the floor outside her moms room. She told me that her mom was disappointed in her, that she called her ordinary and said that she was ashamed to wake up to what Meredith had after these 5 years. I didn't think nothing of it because at first she never seemed bothered, I mean, it's her mom but now that I look at it. It _can_ push someone can't it?"

"Wait she told me. She told me and she said- she said she didn't need rescuing"

"Wait what?! Why are you only just mentioning these things to me?" Cristina exclaimed in annoyance, Meredith having clearly showed signs of being _off_ and nobody even bothered to mention it to her.

"When I got her out of the bath this morning she told me that she didn't need rescuing. I told her it was the happily ever after bit and she blew me off and sent me to work. Then- then the ferry thing happened and then this. What if she was trying to tell me it and I ignored it and went to work. What if this morning was a sign and I ignored it" Their voices were getting incredibly loud, Addison shushing them and moving them back slightly but there was no point. Meredith was already awake and listening, listening into what her friends were clearly deciding about her life. Was she really that _weak_ and _vulnerable_? She felt her throat contract with emotion and reached for the water, trying not to cry out in pain at the pulling sensation in her stomach. She groaned when the cup tumbled over, catching the attention of the three concerned people outside the room. Derek ran to her side, the woman falling back into her pillowed annoyed.

"How long have you been awake for?" Derek asked, handing her the cup and watching as she took a sip and held it back out for him to take.

"Only just. I'm going back to sleep" She turned her head away and closed her eyes, Addison sighing heavily.

"We will come and wake you in a few hours" She stated, Meredith rolling her eyes under her closed eyelids.

"Please don't. I will wake when I want to" She snapped tirelessly, Derek merely nodding to her closed eyes and heading back outside the room. Meredith pried one eye open to be sure they were outside the room again before opening her other eye, wanting to hear more from the unfinished conversation between her friends and boyfriend.

"She is resenting me because I saved her" Derek said straight to the point, Cristina shaking her head.

"No, she has had a long day and is tired. We can give her that I mean, she was dead, for a long time. We don't know the strain that can put on a body"

"I understand that but that was something else Cristina" Addison commented, running her hand down her face in stress.

"So what do we do then? Sitting here mopping about her apparently being suicidal is not going to help her is it? We need to move past it so she can as well"

"How can you do that? How can you move past it when we almost lost her for good, all because she gave up fighting? I can't move past it until I know I can let her leave the house without thinking she is going to drown herself again or throw herself in front of a car or run away and hide from everything. I can't move past it- I can't" Derek turned away from them and walked down the hall, Addison following him leaving Cristina outside her room lost and confused.

 _The next day_

Bailey arrived at Meredith's room to find her sitting up, much to her disapproval, Derek arguing down her ear which seemed to be going in one way and out the next.

"What did I tell you about taking it easy?" Meredith turned to her, not giving her another chance to speak before cutting straight to the chase.

"When can I leave?" Everyone turned to her shocked, Bailey's mouth gapping slightly in surprise.

"Grey I said I wanted you in for at least another 3 days for observation" Meredith rolled her eyes and looked straight at Bailey, not flinching slightly.

"Okay, when is the soonest I can leave against medical advice?"

"Well we can't hold you here against your own free will Meredith, but if I give you the forms for leaving against medical advice they also need to be signed by your medical proxy" Bailey stated as a matter of fact, knowing full well that Derek and Cristina wouldn't let her leave without at least another day in for observation.

"That's fine. I don't have a medical proxy so I can sort out the forms on my own" She smiled, everyone staring at her in utter shock. 1 hour and a few dozen arguments later Meredith was signing the last of her forms and getting changed to leave. Derek and Addison stood in the corner of the room watching how every movement she made was pain filled and not easy, but still how she never once gave in to the defeat.

"Meredith this is probably the worst decision you have ever made" Addison commented, Meredith not looking up as she buttoned up her jeans.

"I doubt you believe that but okay" She mumbled, Derek raising his eyebrows in worry. After Meredith was finished getting ready she stood up straight, Derek and Addison taking a step towards her.

"I am going to see Richard" They nodded, taking another step in which Meredith took a step back in defence.

"Alone" She finished, turning on her heel and leaving.

"Are you concerned, because I am concerned" They both turned to the doorway to find Cristina walking in with a wheelchair, looking up in confusion when she never spotted Meredith.

"Where is she?"

"You actually think she would have gotten into that thing after today? You make me laugh Cristina" Addison giggled, patting the woman on her shoulder as she walked past, Derek smirking slightly.

"She has a point. You think that after this morning she would genuinely be wheeled out by either of us?"

"Well no but it was worth a shot. Where is she?"

"She is with Richard"

"She went to see Chief, why?" Meanwhile, Meredith took a few deep breathes before knocking on the door to Chief's office, opening and entering when she heard him call on the other side of the doorframe.

"Meredith? I thought Bailey was keeping you in for observation" He stood in worry, Meredith shaking her head as she kept her distance from his desk.

"I am going home, I just wanted to drop these off to you" She took a few steps forward and handed him a brown envelope, his frown creasing even further as he pulled the tab open. Pulling out the papers, he looked up in shock, shaking his head.

"Your resignation papers. Meredith I won't accept them. I know what happened yesterday was tough on you but this isn't what you really want. This isn't what your mother would have wanted for you"

"So you're saying you don't accept them?" She asked, completely avoiding the other half of his shocked outburst.

"That is exactly what I am saying" She nodded slowly, turning and walking to the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and sighed heavily, fighting back the tears and she looked back up at him.

"Fine. I quit" His jaw dropped, his head shaking involuntarily from side to side.

"No Meredith-" She stopped him mid-sentence, a tear rolling down her cheek as she made eye contact with him.

"It was really nice working with you Richard"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 people. Thank you so much for the positive reviews I am over the moon you are all enjoying the story so far. So I said this story was estimated to have about 5/6/7 chapters so it is coming to a close soon, but don't worry, one or two more chapters wi** **ll be arriving.**

 **I want to apologise for the wait as I was trying to bring this chapter together and nothing seemed to be working, but I have a plan and I am working on the ending and such.**

 **If anyone wants to suggest a story idea to me at all that they would like me to write they can PM me or leave me a message when reviewing. I only do Meredith centric stories though as she is my favourite character and I find it a lot easier to right from her perspective.**

 **On with the show and I hope you enjoy.**

Derek frowned when he got a page to Richard's office, hoping that he had talked some sense into Meredith and she was wanting to be admitted again. Much to his dismay, she was not in his office when he arrived.

"You paged chief?" Derek stood behind his desk, Richard putting down the paperwork he was reading, offering Derek a seat which he took.

"You know I respect you Derek, not just as a doctor but as a friend as well"

"And vice versa Richard. Where is this going?" Richard sighed heavily and looked Derek dead in the eye, concerning the surgeon.

"I would never ask this as your boss Derek because as much as it makes you both very happy it is inappropriate but, can you please try and talk some sense back into her, as her boyfriend she is going to listen to you"

"Richard me, Addison and Cristina have been trying all morning. She doesn't want to be kept in and we can't make her" Richard frowned shaking his head, grabbing the forms for Derek to look at.

"Not about her discharging herself, about her quitting" Derek froze, shaking his head as she ripped the sheets from Richard's grasp.

"She never told you? Why would she quit like that without consulting you?"

"Because she is resenting me. This is going to far Richard, if I wasn't concerned before I am now!" He expressed, standing to pace stressfully.

"Derek what is going on? This is more to do than yesterday isn't it?"

"We think she did it on purpose" He shouted, the words tumbling out before he could stop himself.

"I'm not following" Derek leant against the cabinet at the back of the office in distress.

"The water yesterday. We think she went in on purpose. It's a mess really. She almost drowned herself in the bath yesterday and I didn't think anything of it then I found her in the water and- she is a good swimmer Richard. This shouldn't have happened"

"Have you asked her?" Derek looked up from the ground in confusion, Richard walking around his desk so he was opposite Derek.

"Derek, have you asked her if it was intentional or not?"

"No but- would you want someone asking you that?"

"I would want to know someone cares enough to stop me" Derek paused, knowing Richard was right and that he should have spoke to Meredith before going behind her back.

"I don't want to lose her Richard. I can't lose her"

"Derek, when Meredith was 5 years old her mother tried to kill herself. A 5 year old Meredith had to call for an ambulance and sit while her mother bled out right in front of her. She sliced her wrists right in front of her. Then her mother disappeared off the face of the earth with Meredith and that was the end of it until Meredith came back here for her internship. The woman had to grow up with her father, her mother gets Alzheimer's then when she comes here she starts her internship and what do you know, her attending boyfriend has a wife. She almost blew up in an OR, it keeps getting better and better. She has survived a lot, a hell of a lot, more than anyone should in a life time, and while working the job she has practically grew up with, you accuse her of trying to kill herself. You need to suck up and talk to her" Derek sighed heavily, nodding his head. He left the room, dialling Meredith's number which, expectedly, went straight to voicemail.

"Damnit" He got the the reception and, to his surprise, caught Meredith as she was walking out the door. He ran after her, catching up and calling her name.

"Meredith!" She stopped and turned to look at him, her face red from crying.

"I'm going home" She stated, Derek stopping in front of her.

"You quit" She rolled her eyes, taking a step back from the man.

"Yes I did. Chief told you" He nodded, running his hand through his hair.

"What are you doing Mere, this isn't you"

"I'm moving past it Derek" She said sarcastically, Derek's jaw dropping as she turned away from him.

"Don't worry, I'm not on my way to drown myself again or slice my wrists if that is what you are worried about" She shouted back at him, turning the corner to her car, Derek standing in the middle of the pathway gobsmacked. Cristina come up behind him, tapping his shoulder, snapping him out of his haze.

"Is it true? Did she really quit?"

"She overheard us talking" He said dully, Cristina taking a sharp breath in.

"What did she say to you?"

"That I shouldn't worry. She isn't going home to drown herself or slice her wrists. She is moving past it" Cristina sighed, her head falling into her hands in annoyance.

"Derek we screwed up" He nodded, no words seeming right for the moment. They had screwed up, that was all the moment was saying to him. _You screwed up._

"Addison is finishing her shift, should I send her to Mere's?" Cristina offered, Derek nodding, following the woman back into the building.

"We built the wall, now it is our turn to knock it down"

Addison made her way up the porch steps, glad that she had a key and didn't need to knock or anything. She opened the door and walked in, the smell of pizza blocking her senses. She looked into the kitchen, an empty pizza box abandoned on the side. Meredith had definitely been home.

"Meredith?" She called out, no sound coming from anywhere inside the house. She went upstairs, all the doors being open, showing that Meredith definitely was not home. She went into her's and Derek's room, finding a note addressed to Derek saying that she had gone out for a jog and would be back soon. Deciding to wait at least till she got back, she made herself comfy on the end of the bed and pulled out her phone, updating Derek who was finishing his shift in 5 hours.

 _Meredith isn't home, she left a note saying she was going for a jog and would be back soon. I'm going to sit and wait for her to come back so come home when you can. Addison._

 _4 hours later_

Derek walked into the house, glad that he managed to get out early. It meant more time speaking to Meredith. He went straight upstairs, finding nobody downstairs and frowned when Addison was asleep on his and Meredith's bed, her coat and bag still attached to her arm.

"Addison?" She jumped slightly, almost falling of the bed as she sat up/

"Derek? Why are you home so early?"

"Addison it's been almost 4 hours, where is Meredith?"

"She hasn't come back from her jog" Addison said slowly, Derek groaning and looking at the note on the side.

"That was not where I left the note"

"That's because it is a different one" Derek kicked the cabinet in annoyance, slumping down next to Addison, throwing the note down onto her lap.

 _Staying at the Arch Hotel, didn't want to disturb Addison. Be home tomorrow._


	6. Chapter 6- Final Chapter

**So sadly, the journey that we have come along with this story has come to an end. This is the last chapter as I thought the ending was the best for the story.**

 **Sorry this has took me a while, my cousin recently broke his leg and due to only being 4, he is in a lot of pain and is stuck in the hospital unable to move so I have been with him. This is his 4th day in and he is already losing his mind. Due to the severity of the break and how sudden it happened the doctors are talking 5/6 months stuck in the hospital which is outrageous for such a young lad- damn hospitals.**

 **Anyway, I hope you are all happy with the concluding chapter and I will see you all again with my other stories and new ones to come. Thank you all so much for the reviews and support.**

 **On with the show...**

Mark used the spare key under the mat to open the door, forgetting to take Addison's key when she asked him to come and check on Derek. He made his way up the stairs, frowning when he saw Derek sitting on the floor outside the bathroom.

"She still in there?" Derek just nodded, sighing and standing to stretch his legs. He knocked once on the door, a few seconds passing before a small knock echoed back. Mark frowned, Derek walking towards him.

"She knocks every now and again to show she is _still alive_ " He said, Mark nodding.

"Has she made any move to come out yet?" He asked, Derek shaking his head.

"Will she freak out if I tried to climb through the bathroom window from outside?" Derek scowled at him, Mark holding his hands up in defence, his smirk faltering.

"Okay sorry serious face. Right. Give me some time, go and make a coffee" Derek rubbed his face tirelessly and nodded, looking at the door before leaving down the stairs, Mark walking to the bathroom door. He went to knock, but the door flung open, Meredith grabbing her shirt and dragging him in the room, shutting the door again, turning the lock.

"This is kidnapping you know that right?" She turned to face him, leaning against the door in defence.

"I am not suicidal"

"Nobody said you were" She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Don't act dumb. I heard them outside my hospital room and the fact someone has to be outside this bathroom door is suffocating. I am not suicidal"

"If you told them that and I don't know, went back to work maybe they would believe you"

"What about you? Do you think I am suicidal?"

"Funnily enough, no. We all have every right to believe you are but I am not buying it" She sat on the toilet seat, Mark sitting on the floor cross legged, watching as she ran her hand through her hair.

"Why? Tell me what is going through your mind that is too hard for them to understand"

"If you were suicidal and you wanted to die that day in the water, you wouldn't have come back. You would have died that day. I think something happened that made you come back" He admitted, Meredith smiling slightly.

"Out of all the people, why is it you that understands?"

"Why is it so bad that it is me?" He faked being hurt, Meredith raising her eyebrows at him.

"Manwhore. Had sex with his best friends wife then stalks his best friend for forgiveness and sleeps with everyone else. Shall I go on?" He laughed, nodding his head knowingly.

"Well, at least I am McSteamy. You will always be the adulterous whore" She laughed with him, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders slightly.

"I was pregnant you know. I found out that morning and then when I came home I took a test and it was negative. I knew it was too soon anyway and I shouldn't have got attached so quickly but, I couldn't help but feel heartbroken. I mean, I have so many problems and the fact he has stuck with me so long anyway says a lot. He is the first person I look at and think, _wow, I want to marry that man_. I don't do that. Meredith Grey, the woman who has daddy issues, and mommy issues, and everything else issues. I thought I would never feel like that. And the fact I had gotten this far and then he think's I would just leave him like that. It made me loose sight of that future with him, it made me loose hope"

"You need to tell him that Meredith. I have been with him through everything, and when he met Addison I thought he had found the one. Then I came her and saw the way he looked at you. He has never in his life looked at someone with such, _passion_ before. You are the one for him Meredith and from what I have seen he is the one for you, but locking yourself up in a bathroom is not going to help anyone is it?" She laughed and shook her head, standing from the toilet.

"How long have you been in this toilet can I ask?" She frowned, looking up in thought.

"Will you judge me if I said around about 36 hours?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and unlocked the door, laughing.

"You are a crazy woman Meredith Grey" She nodded, swaying slightly when she stepped out.

"Need help?" He offered, Meredith closing her eyes slightly.

"I'm okay. I moved too quickly I guess" She muttered, heading down the stairs with Mark right behind her. Derek come out of the kitchen, his eyes wide when he saw Meredith. She opened her mouth to speak but never got a word out as Derek ran up and wrapped her up in his arms, Meredith melting into his frame in comfort.

"I love you so much" She whispered, Derek laughing into her hair, the smell of lavender strong making him swoon.

"I love you too" She smiled, Derek frowning when she swayed in his arms.

"Are you okay? Mark stepped forward pointing knowingly.

"You noticed that as well?" He nodded, Meredith holding her head slightly.

"I feel a little light headed. I am fine really"

"Sit down let me get you a glass of water" She nodded, though her knee's failed her as she tried to move to the couch, Mark leaping forward to stop her falling.

"I am taking you to the hospital to get checked out" She went to argue but thought best not considering she had locked herself away for 36 hours and was reconciling. The drive was awkward, Mark offering to drive while Derek and Meredith sat at the back, her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed.

"How did you do it?" He asked, Mark looking at him through the mirror into the back.

"I called her an adulterous whore" He smirked, Derek frowning, not bothering to ask further questions. They pulled up outside, Derek nudging Meredith who barely made a grunt in response.

"Meredith?" He shook her slightly, though her head just lulled to the side, Mark jumping out to help him.

"I need a gurney out here" He shouted, Bailey and Cristina rushing out.

"What happened?" She turned white when Derek carried Meredith out the car, Cristina freezing on the spot.

"You got her out the bathroom!" She exclaimed, though the fact she was unconscious wan't all that great.

"Mark did. She was light headed and she fell asleep on me in the car and I can't get her to wake up"

"What do you mean out of the bathroom? How long was she in the bathroom?" Bailey asked, rushing in with everyone else behind her.

"36 hours give or take" Mark told her, Bailey stopping outside the trauma room in shock.

"She was in the bathroom for 36 straight hours and nobody even thought to call me? Idiots!" She cried out, Derek and Cristina pulling back slightly while Bailey hooked Meredith up to various machines.

 _1 hour later_

Meredith felt the light burn her eyes as she lifted her hand, finding a hand on top of hers preventing her from doing so.

"Meredith?" She hear Derek's voice, peeling one eye open to see him staring at her, Addison and Cristina behind him.

"You are one dumb girl did you know that?" Bailey commented, Meredith turning her head to see her and Webber on the other side of the bed, Mark at the foot with George, Izzie and Alex.

"O'Mailey, present please" Bailey said, George standing forward with Meredith's chart.

"Patient Meredith Grey, suffered dehydration and malnourishment due to locking herself in the bathroom for 38 straight hours" Bailey nodded, Meredith blushing slightly.

"Stevens, how did we treat Dr Grey?"

"Treated with fluids and a saline drip" Meredith looked down to the IV attached to her arm, nodding slightly.

"Dr Yang, what are our further treatment plans for Dr Grey"

"We are going to keep her over night for observation due to her body not healing probably from leaving the hospital against medical advice and if everything seems okay she will be sent home for a week on bed rest" She rolled her eyes but nodded, knowing that she would most certainly not be on bed rest for a week but they can have the satisfaction for now.

"And finally Dr Karev, what are we going to do if Dr Grey try's to leave without our consent"

"Restrain and sedate her until further notice" He grinner, Meredith sitting up slightly.

"That is ethically wrong" She commented, her voice dry but still loud and clear.

"That is ethically what you deserve now hush up and let me finish" She closed her mouth and nodded, holding up her hand for Bailey to continue.

"Once Dr Grey has rested for a week she will come in for a check up and if everything seems fine she will sit down in Chief Webber's office and sign the papers to come back to the internship. Does Dr Grey have any questions?"

"Does Dr Grey get a choice in any of the said instructions?"

"No Dr Grey does not, any more questions?" She shook her head, Bailey nodding and leaving the room, Alex smirking and waving his goodbye as he followed, knowing he was with Bailey for that day and needed to finish her post-ops with her.

"I will see you next week" Webber said, raising his eyebrow at Meredith who nodded, watching him leave. George and Izzie gave Meredith and hug and left, knowing they had surgeries to prep for and rounds to do. Meredith looked around at everyone, her eyes landing on Mark who waved his hands slightly, waiting for her to speak her mind like he told her to. She looked down at her feet for a few moments, everyone sitting in an awkward silence. Derek was about to speak when Meredith spoke up, still staring at her feet as she spoke.

"I am not suicidal. I never was and never will be and I was highly insulted when you all accused me of being suicidal" They all shared a look, Meredith looking up, particularly eyeing Derek who was covered head to toe in guilt.

"I didn't want to believe it, but then you quit your job" He stated, Meredith smiling slightly.

"Quitting was not the smartest move I have made. I just wanted someone to come and ask me. Nobody asked if I wanted to die or why I quit and you all stepped on egg shells around me. That is why I resulted in locking myself in the bathroom because I was sick of being treated like a baby"

"We weren't thinking either. It wasn't either of our smartest moves" Cristina said, Mark clearing his throat slightly.

"Can I just say I was the one to get you out of the bathroom" He grinned, not seeing the pillow which Meredith launched at him, knocking him back slightly.

"Manwhore" He frowned deeply, crossing his arms over the pillow on his chest.

"Dirty mistress" Addison looked between the two, everyone frowning when they burst out into a fit of laughter.

"What are we missing?" Addison questioned, Meredith grabbing Derek's hand and shaking her head.

"He get's it" She grinned at Mark who nodded back, everyone just shrugging, knowing that they can't say anything considering he was the one to complete a job none of them could do.

"Thank you for sticking with me" Meredith whispered to Derek, the two sharing a look. He lifted his hand to her cheek and smiled, kissing her forehead whispering back,

"I will always stick by you"


End file.
